Marlins no-hit Yankees late Saturday, get one-hit Sunday in Panama

JUPITER -- In an exhibition series to honor the greatest closer in the history of the game, the Miami Marlins made some pitching history of their own.

Late Saturday night in the front-end of a two-game exhibition series against the New York Yankees in Panama City, Panama, starter Brad Hand and three relievers combined on a no-hitter at Rod Carew Stadium. The “Legend Series” to honor Panama native Mariano Rivera opened with a 5-0 Marlins’ victory. The two teams will play again Sunday afternoon.

Hand struck out six without walking a batter over his five-inning effort, keeping himself in the mix for the fifth starter job. Closer Steve Cishek walked a batter and stuck out another in the sixth, and A.J. Ramos took care of the seventh and eighth, walking one.

Arquimedes Caminero got two groundouts and struck out Adonis Garcia to end it.

As Marlins’ radio broadcaster Glenn Geffner pointed out via Twitter, the Marlins in 2009 also threw a combined spring training no-hitter in Lakeland against the Tigers. Ricky Nolasco started that one.

The Yankees regulars’ who started the game – Brett Gardner, Derek Jeter, Carlos Beltran and Alfonso Soriano – went a combined 0-for-11.

Offensively, Jake Marisnick continued his nice spring going 2-for-3 with a run. Including fellow outfielder Christian Yelich, four different players each knocked in a run.

The Yankees nearly returned the no-hit favor on Sunday. They held the Marlins to one hit -- a seventh-inning, Giancarlo Stanton single -- in the 7-0 win. Marlins starter Nathan Eovaldi gave up a run on four hits over four innings and prospect Adam Conley was touched up for four runs on four hits in his lone inning of work.